Bad Dreams
by CanaanAlshea
Summary: Rin Wakes Up From A Nightmare And Sesshoumaru Is There To Comfort Her


_"Rin...come play with me..."_

 _Frozen in place, she stared, horrified at the mangled body of her older brother, his eye sockets black; endless in their absence. "No..." she whispered, shaking her head, fists clenched, "You...I have to..."_

 _"Don't you love us anymore Rin?" Startled, she turned, screaming at the grotesque sight of her mother. Her once beautiful, strong mama now a rotting monster with grey skin, hair in clumps and pieces of her sliding off. She wanted to hold her baby again. "Get away!" Sobbing, Rin turned and ran. "Lord Sesshoumaru!" she screamed. The only sounds were the screeching groans of her long-dead relatives. Their long, rotting arms reaching out for her, wanting her to stay forever..._

 _"We miss you Rin..."_

 _"Lord Sesshoumaru!"_

Rin shot up from her blankets, head whirling in all directions, looking for a threat she was sure was still there. Her mother and brother wanted her back but she couldn't go with them...! There was nothing there. Nothing but endless black space. Breath hitching, she wrapped her arms around herself, falling to her knees and biting back the sobs in her throat. No, her family wasn't there. She was alone. All alone in the dark again.

"Rin."

She gasped, turning to the source of the sound a small distance behind her. "Lord...Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes," he sounded bored, "The fire has gone out. We are all here." Couldn't she see in the dark at all? Were human's eyes of no use to them without the blinding lights of fire? For a moment, it was quiet again. He hummed softly to himself; she must have fallen asleep again.

The silence was short lived. He felt his brow furrow at the scent of her tears, the unusually ragged pace of her breath. She was crying? Why? There was no danger. Everything was the same as it had been before. Jaken slept upon AaUn... There was no reason to be afraid.

"I can't...I can't see you, Lord Sesshoumaru," her voice was small, throat pinched with terror and the sobs she desperately tried to keep in. It was such a silly thing; nine years old and still afraid of the dark? There was nothing to be scared of. Lord Sesshoumaru was there, there was no danger. But she kept seeing those dead faces.

She jumped as a large hand placed itself on her shoulder. "I wasn't aware your vision was so poor in the darkness," he murmered. He moved away and, for a moment, she was scared he'd left. Until she saw the spark of a flint, and a tiny flame grew from the firepit she'd dug. Immediately, she relaxed. Sesshoumaru stayed crouched, face betraying nothing as he casually placed a few more sticks into the fire . "You should go back to sleep," he said softly, rising and waving his hand to her blankets, "There are still many hours before full daylight. You slept very little."

"Yes Lord Sesshoumaru," wiping her face, the girl crawled back under her bedding, shivering despite the warmth. She was afraid to close her eyes. Her lips parted in a silent question as her new guardian took a seat behind her, leaning casually against the tree, legs crossed and sword resting across his lap. "You had an unpleasant dream," he murmered, tilting his head to look at her. She nodded in confirmation, swallowing thickly, "Rin had...er, I had a bad dream...yes." Sesshoumaru stared, unwavered. He didn't ask her to speak, nor did he silence her. "I saw my family," she shuddered, barely noticable, "They were dead. They wanted me to come with them. They...were rotten." Sesshoumaru nodded, just a little. "Lord Sesshoumaru?", hesitant, she fiddled with her blanket, "Do you...have bad dreams too?"

"Sometimes," he looked upward, as if trying to recall one, "Very rarely, however. And they do not disturb me as much as yours do to you." He didn't mean it to sound insulting; still, the girl lowered her gaze. "...For a long while," he whispered, "I had a recurring dream of my mother..." he paused, golden eyes flicking over to Jaken, as though making sure there would be no other witness to his confession, "My mother and I fighting."

"Your mother hit you Lord Sesshoumaru?" her eyes widened, as though such a thing were absolutely inconceivable.

"No," he smiled, just a little, "It was disturbing because the fight never ended. We were very angry, trading blows and blood and it would never end resolved. I always woke up in the middle." Rin's brows furrowed, her little face looking sad and a little lost.

"Lord Sesshoumaru can wake me if you have that bad dream," she whispered, "It sounds scary."

Sesshoumaru quirked a white brow, mildly amused at her assumption that he would need her to comfort him. "Hm. Perhaps," he sighed, "However, I am aware that it is only a dream. Something conceived by the mind that cannot hurt you physically. ...Do you understand?"

"Dreams are not real, Lord Sesshoumaru," she nodded with all the graveness of her years.

For a moment, the only sound was the fire crackling. Rin felt her eyelids grow heavy; she resisted the urge to sleep. "Rin."

"Yes my lord?"

"Sleep now. I will not be leaving the clearing. Should the dream return, you may tell me."

She didn't have to be scared. Lord Sesshoumaru could beat anything, even nightmares. She smiled to herself, "Ok. ...Goodnight my Lord."

"Goodnight."

Sesshoumaru cocked his head when he heard her heartbeat settle, watched the subtle shifting of her eyes beneath the lids as she slept. A small smile curled her lips and he found himself mirroring the expression, just for a moment.

He snorted, looking at the stars for answers. "I've grown soft," he whispered, "Haven't I father?"

The only response was the soft snores of his companions. Smiling, just a little, he relaxed, content to watch over his child.


End file.
